2:55PM: Nick Kypreos said on Hockey Central at Noon that the salary cap fight is turning into big market owners vs small market owners and the big market owners don’t want to see the cap come down.

Doug MacLean once again notes that Gary Bettman warned the big market teams to be careful about how the managed the cap because the CBA was expiring. MacLean adds that the small market teams are “adamant” that the floor is not higher than $44 million.

Kypreos said that Bettman made promises to the small market teams and he is trying to keep them.

8:33AM: According to Chris Johnston, Pierre LeBrun and Katie Strang, the NHLPA is asking the NHL for a salary cap of $65 million in 2013-14.

The NHL is holding firm at their request for the salary cap to be $60 million.

LeBrun writes at ESPN.com that the NHL is concerned about raising the salary cap and how that would raise the floor. He says that the NHL isn’t interested in having a payroll range more than $16 million.